1
Lawrence Perkins
I would really like to know more about how advanced the Muslim academia were in their
studies
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Islam_New_Main.html
The House of Wisdom there was the center of Islamic learning. Great translation projects
took place there which converted the great works of different cultures into Arabic. The
House of Wisdom was started by Calif al-Mamun in 830 AD. He employed people of all
races and religions to help translate books from around the world. He also paid each
translator the weight of their translated books in gold! Great libraries and schools thrived
on the works that the translators contributed.
This is in contrast to the behavior of the Roman/Byzantine emperors who destroyed
Greek knowledge because of its paganism (belief in many gods) and its differences with
Christianity
The House of Wisdom restored the continuity of human knowledge by learning and
translating from the older cultures. This scholarship had been interrupted by the fall of
Rome. Without the knowledge that was preserved, translated and improved upon, the
Renaissance in Europe would not have been possible. [Abridged from IslamSet]
2
Sandra Sandoval
C.5-I would like to know more about guild education. I have always found this
interesting, especially the stages of apprentice, journeyman, and master craftsman. These
stages are still carried on in some professions.
C.6-This is not a question as much as it is a comment, but it has been many years
since I have studied the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas and I would like to go back
and revisit some of his teachings. I would like to know more about the Moorish/Arab
influences on the medieval university.
C.7-I would like to know more about Da Feltre's "house of joy".
Da Feltre
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15490a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorino_da_Feltre
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0851064.html
http://www.bookrags.com/biography/vittorino-da-feltre/
Guilds
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/guilds
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/guilds.html
3
Rebecca Black
Why was there such an avoidance of science during this period? Especially with the rise
of humanism, one would think that there would be an interest in working out the physical
world. If there had been an active scientific research agenda during this period, there may
well have been some amazing discoveries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_science_in_the_Middle_Ages
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/sci/A0860976.html
http://members.aol.com/mcnelis/medsci_index.html#Alch
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Church dominance/religious orientation
Worldview: stable and unchanging knowledge, not seeking new knowledge or
perspective
Feudalism/self-sufficient economy
4
Elsa Barron
I would like to know more about what is the study of canon law (religious perhaps?) and
why it was considered an area of specialization? Also, I'm still curious as to "scholars"
becoming known as "superior in their area of knowledge" solely due to their reputations
(who they studied with?) and where they studied?
http://home.hetnet.nl/~otto.vervaart/canon_law.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook-law.html
http://historymedren.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=historymedren&zu
=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.newadvent.org%2Fcathen%2F09056a.htm
http://www.kuttner-institute.jura.uni-muenchen.de/Einstieg_Kanonistik_engl.htm
http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/culture/law/canlaw.htm
http://www.pearsoned.co.uk/Bookshop/detail.asp?item=100000000001287
http://faculty.cua.edu/Pennington/Canon%20Law/HistoryCanonLaw.html
http://faculty.cua.edu/Pennington/Canon%20Law/ShortHistoryCanonLaw.htm
http://www.hbgdiocese.org/canonical/canonintro.html
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO CANON LAW
Canon Law, or the law of the Catholic Church, has a long and complex history.
Its roots can be found in the early Christian community, in Scripture, in the
writings of the Church Fathers, and in the developing practices and customs of
the Church as it expanded across the borders of the Roman Empire, especially
after the Edict of Constantine. It was, however, with Gratian (circa 1140 A.D.),
the "Father of the Science of Canon Law," that canon law actually became a
discipline, separate and distinct from Theology. Today, theology and canon law
are studied as separate but complementary disciplines, since the Church's law
has its foundations in the Church's beliefs. Indeed, Pope John Paul II has noted
that "canonical theory and practice always need to be informed by a sound
ecclesiological understanding."
The Church's current Code of Canon Law was promulgated by Pope John Paul
II in 1983 and was the direct result of the Second Vatican Council. In fact, Pope
John Paul II has called the current Code "the final document" of this Council.
Thus, the Code and the Council are intimately joined and direct the Church's
activity, both internally and in its external affairs.
The role of law in the Church, according to the Holy Father, is to provide a
5
service "which is ultimately pastoral in nature" since "it seeks to strengthen the
bonds of communion in the Church through fidelity to the Gospel and the
promotion of justice." In the application of the canonical norms, the Church is
called "to bring healing and hope in fragile situations of human weakness and
sin…" always keeping in mind "the pastoral nature of all Church law, while
never derogating from the demands of truth." Canon law is to become, in the
words of Pope John Paul II, "an effective instrument for the continual renewal
of ecclesial life." Indeed, canon law helps provide order and discipline in the
Church, it protects the rights of individuals, and it seeks to provide justice based
on equity for all its members. The ultimate purpose of law in the Church is "the
salvation of souls."
For more detailed information on the history of canon law, the specific material
contained in the current Code of Canon Law, and the characteristics of the new
law, please see:
Canon Law downloadable document.
6
Lizzy Newsome
I would like to know more about the roles of women during the medieval times, as well
as Women's education. I am also interested in finding out more about other women
scholars, philosophers, etc. of that time. Furthermore, I would like to know how
humanistic views (or which humanistic views) gave rise to certain educational
philosophies, and of those, which are prominent in our schools today.
See the class PowerPoint on Christine de Pizan and Hildegard of Bingen
In sum, lower class women did not get a lot of opportunities to be educated as much as
noble and middle class women.
http://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ls201/medieval3.html
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/fc/fcwebho.htm
7
Alma Rangel
As student interested in the mathematics education area, is important to learn more about
how the erudition of the Arab scholars of mathematics impressed the western European,
what were the major contribution (other important impacts as the Arabic number)? From
chapter 6 something that I would like to know more is about why the curriculum of the
medieval university was focused in the diffusion of existence knowledge rather than
stimulation to know new information. From chapter 7, I want to know more about the
fact that why people though that a ?proper? education for women was when they learned
gender-specific skill, and why even with the nowadays changes, women labor and
learning status hasn?t change much in some cultures.
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/980422/1998042208.html
http://www-circa.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/HistTopics/Arabic_mathematics.html
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ScienceMath/Math.html
http://www.netmuslims.com/info/mathematics.html
Another invention that revolutionized mathematics was the introduction of the number
zero by Muhammad Bin Ahmad in 967 AD. Zero was introduced in the West as late as
the beginning of the thirteenth century. Modern society takes the invention of the zero for
granted, yet the Zero is a non-trivial concept, that allowed major mathematical
breakthroughs.
Arab civilizations also made a great contribution to fractions and to the principle of errors,
which is employed to solve Algebra problems arithmetically.
He also recognized that quadratic equations have two roots. His method was continued by
Thabet Bin Qura, the translator of Ptolemy's works who developed Algebra and first
realized application in geometry. By the 11th century the Arabs had founded, developed
and perfected geometrical algebra and could solve equations of the third and fourth
degree
Arabs have excelled in geometry, starting with the transition of Euclid and conic section
of Apolonios and they preserved the genuine works of these two Greek masters for the
modern world, by the 9th century AD. and then started making new discoveries in this
domain.
However, Arab achievements in this field were crowned by the discovery made by Abu
Jafar Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Hassan, known as Nassereddine al-Tusi. AlTusi separated trigonometry from astronomy. This contribution recognizes and explains
weakness in Euclid's theory of parallels, and thereby may thus be credited as founder of
non-Euclidian geometry.
8
Meixia Ding
I have already raised several questions above. Beside, I also want to know whether the
church-related institutions in medieval were the origin of today’s bible schools or other
religion schools?
I believe that some of today’s church schools were built later than medieval times. And
some of the medieval church schools later became severing broader purposes than
transmitting the Christian doctrine. For example, University of Paris evolved from a
cathedral school, University of Norte Dame, as mentioned in Gutek’s book. In the 1970s,
the university was reorganized into 13 autonomous universities. Now the university
system offers a much wider variety of subjects beyond the original liberal arts
curriculum.
9
Nedaro Bellamy
What are some the current educational strategies and philosophies that stem from
philosophies of the Renaissance period? How are current private schools and parochial
schools similar to the schools of the Renaissance?
Religiously affiliated or denominational schools form a distinct category of private
schools. Such schools teach religious lessons together with the usual academic subjects,
to instill their particular faith's beliefs and traditions in the students who attend. They
include parochial schools, a term which is often used to denote Catholic Christian
schools. Other religious groups represented in the K-12 private education sector include
Protestants, Muslims, Jews and the Orthodox Christian sects such as the Russian, Greek
and Byzantine.
http://www.education.umn.edu/EdPA/iconics/reading%20room/6.htm
Today’s parochial or private schools teach a broader range of subjects.
Today’s parochial or private schools, unlike those during the Renaissance, are open to a
wider range of population rather than to elite only.
Today’s parochial or private schools have more equal attendance between men and
women.
Similarity is that both emphasizes on religious teaching.
10
Vanessa Cortez
I would like to know more about Medieval Education and its impact on American and
European universities today.
http://www.medieval-life.net/education.htm
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Medieval_Schools_and_Universities.htm
http://www.fidnet.com/~weid/education.htm
http://educ.queensu.ca/~fmc/march2005/education.html
http://www.medievaleducation.com/
http://historymedren.about.com/library/weekly/aa033001b.htm
11
Bryan Bryant
I would like to know more about the history of the serfs. How they managed to change
their lot in life. I think that this growth of the ?middle class? would be interesting to
discuss. I also would like to know the process of ?formal education? for the serfs. Did
they all become only craftsmen or were some educated in more formal school settings?
http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/S/serf.html
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0861026.html
http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Feudalism_and_Medieval_life.htm
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/YALDdecline.htm
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/decline-of-feudalism.htm
12
Nickolas Bobeck
I would like to learn more about Peter Abelard and some of his other contributions to this
time. Of the little that was written about him in chapter 6 it was very interesting. I think,
more than ever before, people are really questioning things that have become common
place and are finding that maybe there is a better way (not just religiously).
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01036b.htm
http://latter-rain.com/eccle/abela.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/abelard-histcal.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/1120abelard.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Ab%C3%A9lard
13
Hayley Kazen
Why was learning Greek and Latin vital for "education"? Why were the vernacular
languages looked down upon? Was there no interest in translating works from their
original Greek or Latin into a more accessible language? When did the shift in pedagogy,
from memorization and copying to critical thinking occur? Was Vittorino a leader in this
development?
Vittorino:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15490a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorino_da_Feltre
http://columbia.thefreedictionary.com/Vittorino+da+Feltre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernacular
http://www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/firsteuro/lang.html
http://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/nehamas/phaedrus.html
The Renaissance has been termed "the great age of translations." The rise of Humanism
inspired translators from various European countries to translate many texts, especially
those of the ancients. England in the early 16th century lagged far behind the Continent in
the production of translations: by 1528, for example, Xenophon, Suetonius, Sallust,
Thucydides, and Caesar were all readily-available in French; English translations would
come only later.
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Vernacular was considered the language of illiterates or uneducated.
Education was only available to a few elites.
Church was the dominant educational agency.
14
Amy Anderson
Not to sound disillusioned, but before reading these chapters I had a very different view
of the medieval ages. Before, I had a very romantic notion of the middle ages. I suppose I
was caught up in the chivalry of knighthood. I really didn’t understand how difficult life
was in the middle ages. As I did research for mine and Rebecca’s presentation for next
week, I got into looking at the castles and churches that were built in the middle ages. I’m
absolutely amazed at the grandeur, and complexity of the buildings. My question then is I
suppose indirectly related to education. In a time when paper was scarce, and
transportation was at best a horse with a cart, how on earth did the people of the
middle ages build such magnificent buildings? Life was hard. The feudal lords
managed the land in order to sometimes just sustain life ? who built these
buildings. How were they planned? Maybe these are questions for the Architecture of
Education class and not for this one but I’m amazed!
My second question from this reading focuses on the abbess or prioress. In the
reading the abbess or prioress was a well educated woman who had experience
supervising religious institutions. As we’ve read so far, women were rarely
educated. And as discussed last week there were a few women like Sappho who were
afforded extensive educational experiences leading to scholarly work. However it
just seems that if most convents organized and maintained schools, where did this
very education women come from who also had practice in managing religious
institutions? (Wait till you see the presentation on Hildegard of Bingen)
15
Michael Muzheve
I want to know the influence that the people from this period have had on present day
models of teaching and how they are viewed by other educators today.
Which languages are being taught in American schools and are they mandatory or not?
How do people feel about learning foreign languages?
16
Courtney West
In the Medieval Church-Related Institutions, students memorized Latin texts without
necessarily understanding their meaning (p.85). What types of Latin literature were
studied, and how were they selected? Also, are there any specific texts that were utilized
that are still prominent in educational settings today? I did not realize that students ruled
the University of Bologna. Are there any universities today that are ruled by the students
who attend them?
17
Bernice Sanchez
I have mentioned some questions in my previous discussions; however, it would be
interesting to know where and what year were the first doctorate degrees awarded?
18
Heather Ramirez
I would like to know why guild education or vocational education somehow came to be
seen as bad. Since when is learning a skill or craft a negative thing? Why do people treat
this type of education as inferior?